All activities / Skiing & Snowsports / Riksgransen
Skiing & Snowsports in Riksgransen
Sweden's northernmost ski resort, on the E10 at the Norwegian border in Swedish Lapland, 200 kilometres above the Arctic Circle. Its season runs late, from February into late June, when lifts turn under the midnight sun and skiers ride through the small hours; the area is known for off-piste and heli-skiing.
Why here
Riksgransen is the most northerly ski resort in Sweden and one of the strangest and best in the world, because here the season barely starts before spring and runs on until midsummer. Sitting right on the Norwegian border 200 kilometres above the Arctic Circle, it opens around February and stays open into late June, and its signature is midnight-sun skiing: in May and June the lifts run into the night and you can ski under a sun that never sets. The terrain is what draws serious skiers, a compact lift-served area backed by big off-piste bowls, couloirs and long ridge lines dropping toward the fjords, with easy access to guided ski touring and heli-skiing across the border peaks. Snow quality this far north stays cold and stable late into spring, and the light, low and golden for hours, is unlike anything in the Alps. The Arctic train from Narvik delivers you almost to the piste, past mountains and fjords, and the historic Meteorologen lodge sits beside the station. For spring skiing with a midnight sun, Riksgransen has no real equal.
Best months
Unusually, the season here is late, roughly February to late June rather than midwinter, because the deep polar night makes December and January too dark to ski; the resort's best-known window is May and June, when the midnight sun allows evening and night skiing. Spring snow stays cold and reliable at this latitude, though weather on the exposed fells can bring wind, whiteout and fast changes, and the off-piste and touring terrain is avalanche country best skied with a guide. Early season is dark and cold; late season is bright and mild.
Getting there & around
Riksgransen is easy to reach for so remote a spot: the Arctic train from Narvik in Norway or from Kiruna and Stockholm stops beside the resort, and the E10 runs to the door. Narvik airport (Evenes) and Kiruna airport are the nearest flights. Lodging clusters around the station, from the historic Meteorologen to the Niehku villa nearby, and lift passes, rental and guiding are on site. Book heli-skiing and guided touring ahead for the spring peak. Bring layers for cold wind and long bright evenings.
Skill levels: intermediate, advanced
Schools & guides (2)
Niehku Mountain Villa
OutfitterNiehku Mountain Villa is a remote ski lodge at Riksgransen on the Norwegian border, roughly 200 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle, built inside a converted railway engine roundhouse from the old iron-ore line. Its winter and spring season runs from mid-January into May, with heli-skiing and ski touring across some sixty peaks and late-season descents under the midnight sun. The award-winning villa has fourteen rooms, a wine cellar and a dining hall, and takes single-party buyouts.
Riksgransen Ski Resort
OutfitterRiksgransen is Sweden's northernmost ski resort, on the E10 just before the Norwegian border and reached by the Arctic train from Narvik, operated by Lapland Resorts. Two hundred kilometres above the Arctic Circle, its season is late and long, running from February into late June, when lifts turn under the midnight sun and skiers ride in the small hours of the night. The area is known for off-piste and heli-skiing, with the historic Meteorologen lodge beside the station.